Thursday, July 26, 2012

3rd Year Project Brainstorm

Alright, here we go, its about time I put all my ideas down in one place. Ideas for my 3rd year project. This will most likely be my biggest project yet, and will hopefully get me a degree. So I plan to put all my time and love into this.

So, whats it all going to be about? My plan so far, is to work on a design portfolio throughout the year. The portfolio will include illustrations and concept art from a fantasy world which I will create. Along with stories and descriptions about the different concepts within the world.

I want to focus on creating a part of a world with its own culture, history, myths and technology.

Of corse I know that creating a whole world would take way too much more time than what I have, so I want to focus on creating only a small part of this world. For example a faction or a small nation. Perhaps a Town or settlement.

My hopes are that the final design portfolio, will be a reflection of me, my style and my abilities as an illustrator/designer.

So am going to go ahead and list some of the things/pictures/artists that have inspired me the most and explain why..

The art of Gary Chalk and the amazing "Lone Wolf" game book series. They are the most memorable books I have ever read. I just love the way each and every character you meet in the world of Magnamund is very memorable and unique. And that's what I want to take from it into my world.

I have always loved the medieval ages, There is just something so intriguing about the way people lived back than. they were very dark times, full of violence and death. But still people found a way to enjoy themselves. I want my world to be very heavily influenced by the medieval ages, mainly in the aesthetics, fashion, designs, and overall lifestyle.

Keith Thompson has always been one of my favorite artists, His incredible imagination has always inspired me and I want that to stay true in this project as well

Now this is where it gets a bit more crazy, I want to mix Medieval aesthetics, with 20th century technology (mainly World war One 1900s). First electricity, diesel power vehicles, cars, planes, gas masks, rifles. All with a very rusty home made look. than these vehicles would be colorfully painted and decorated with medieval designs and things.

For example I imagine a sort of a flying vehicle, a bike sort of, with a colorful paint job, and tassels. All powered by a propeller and with some sort of wings. The metal its made of is worn off and bits of it are even made of wood. And upon it sits a knight with a lance, and this flying bike thing is his mount. These would be The "knights of the sky" just like the first WW1 pilots were called. And they will fight dragons in the sky with their flying mounts.

One of the things from the medieval society I want to bring into my
world is the Knight-Squire relationship, For example, Higher class
goblins could serve their master as squires and mechanics, Helping their
master with gear and whatnot.

A "knight" could also be a pilot of a walking armour mech, or said flying mount. And its squire is the one who helps with taking care of the machine, just like during the middle ages, squires took care of knights horses, and were the knights right hand.

So this, at least in my head creates a nice blend in ww1 and medieval. Knights of the sky with squires...and stuff

Speaking of WW1, I was always very fascinated by trench warfare, and how it, at times, seemed like the soldiers were fighting in melee medieval fights. So another one idea for my illustrations is: these soldiers in half armour, uniform, with bayonet rifles and two handed swords, their armour in bright colors of their faction. sitting in a trench waiting for a call to charger over the edge and into a melee fight to take over the other trench.

Ofcorse the biggest problem I came across, is Logic... why the armour if you have guns. why trenches? That's a problem I still have to find a solution to, Until than, its just because it looks really cool.

My most recent character design is a nice example of what I mean, A sniper on horseback, scouting around his castle looking to pick of bandits. Or he could be someone like Robin Hood, but with a sniper rifle...

People live in castles but have their houses wired with electricity and light bulbs.

I want to focus on every side of the culture, from the economy to the military.

The architecture is very much inspired by medieval Germany.
I have always found something really amazing about castles, most likely because when I was young my parents used to travel with me around Czech Castles.

Lately I have been studding the works of Justin Gerard and Jon Hodgson. Their works all have this very magical, Folk/ Fableish feel.

I want my world to be full of little myths and Fables. With mythical creatures and long forgoten tails. Mechanical mages, who believe in the god of electricity inside their machines. Little goblins who serve the people as slaves, or as companions. This could create an interesting conflict, with some people who are against or pro Goblin slavery.

One of the factions could even use giant beetles, as animals, and mount them and use them as transport. Knights on decorated giant beetles....

A myth of a cult of trolls/giants who live underneath a mountain, and within their massive caves they are guardians of a massive Bell. They believe that their purpose is to guard and take care of this bell, and every year, at the end of Winter, they ring the bell which shakes the earth as a sign of the coming of a new year. Its like a symbol of "shaking off" the winter and cold... or something

I plan to come up with more of these little stories and incorporate them into the local culture.

So in a way, this project is a metaphor for the modern world, Even now with all this new technology, we still live like its middle ages in some places. We are greedy, We lust for power, We fight, Violence and death is everywhere, and we still have to obey the people higher up the "kings" Only now its more hidden than it was back than.